Of Something True
by Asher
Summary: [Oneshot] Waiting for him to come home. To show up, to lift his face toward her. She stands in wait, thinking of promises and sharp moments. Noin POV. [9x3,3x9]


**OF SOMETHING TRUE**

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**I Have Kept My Promises**

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**A/N:** 9x3/3x9, bit of angst, bit of fluff.

**BGM:** _21 Grams Soundtrack _&_ Ronroco, _Gustavo Santaolalla

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The ancient willows were swaying rather violently..._sway...bent_...losing their silken flowers. The wind wove through the gardens, immersed itself among the leaves, the near creak of branches..._the air_...sleek, moist with raindrops.

Storm season in Sank Kingdom.

Violet skies.

_-_

_- _

_ The clouds seemed to be crying. Noisly, like ill-tempered children they bellowed to the world in their crackle of thunder that they were seeking vengeance. Apparent in the covered sky was the existence of an angered god searching for whomever was responsible for his swift shift of mood..._

_-_

_- _

Leaves tossed against the tree bases..._overgrown_...The lake edging into the flowerbeds rippled and ebbed away..._our boat floated near the shore_...And I stood outside, waiting. In the moment...

_-_

_- _

_I left the key inside my coat.  
There was no one inside who heard me.  
No.  
There wasn't.  
The doors were locked.  
What?  
Yes, boarded.  
It's storm season.  
The windows would break.  
No one did._

_No one heard._

_-_

_- _

You were supposed to come. Five o'clock, five o'clock. A Thursday. I would meet you outside. Escort you back home. Welcome your guests. Kiss you back. At five o'clock.

Wind change. Swift, unapologetic. My hair wisped around my face, but I ignored it, pushed my freezing hands deeper into the pockets of your old academy jacket. Ten more minutes. At five you would arrive

_-_

_- _

_A lift of your gaze through heavy-lidded eyes. Your hair brushed by a golden sheen, the solid brown disrupted by accents of sun. Your breath escaped dry lips, a secretive admission to exhaustion._

_Take advantage of you in order to spend more time watching you sleep. Pulling thick blankets higher to cover your chest, adding pillows next to the bed on the floor because you tend to roll off. Moving the bedside table further away...because you wake up at night reaching for a gun._

_I sit on the uncomfortable chair so that I can take care of you during the only time you'll allow it._

_Allow it because you don't know I'm there.  
Or care to realize it._

_-_

_- _

An hour.

Your friends await inside. I've instructed them to feel free within your house, because you want for nothing but the comfort of others.

One of them has come out to offer me an umbrella.

"The rain will begin soon. Why don't you come inside, Noin?"

"I said I would be standing here when he arrived."

He stares hard at me, smiling a bit. "His flight is running late, so there's no telling when he'll get here." He sighed. "But since you're stubborn at least take the umbrella. It won't be much help with this wind, but it's something."

I thank him and he retreats back into the boarded home

_-_

_- _

_You are younger than me by three years.  
Three years in which I should have accumulated a multitude of other lovers and friends while you found yourself.  
But instead I waited until I found you._

_My second established permanence.  
"With a boy, Noin. A **boy**."  
But it doesn't matter, does it?  
"He's too **young** for you."  
He's seventeen. Where were you when you were seventeen? Killing rebels, sleeping with me, trying to keep us hidden from the Commander. Why should it matter?_

_"Because it could ruin you."_

_Only one more year._

_Is there a difference in the shades?_

_-_

_- _

Another twenty minutes and the rain has come.

I shiver inside the warmth of my clothes, but I promised I would wait for you.

Promised I would do this six months ago when you left me for this mission.

And it doesn't matter that I'm twenty and still cling to someone else. Because I'm young, I need to feel in love. It makes me content to do this for you. Even though I would not do it for anyone but you.

Unless I loved someone else.

And that has not happened in a year.

_-_

_- _

_"Tell me something true."  
He stares at me._

_He smiles and says, "I like you."  
I punch the exercise droid._

_"Was it something else you were after, Lieutenant Noin?"  
The droid's head collapses on one side as I steady myself against it.  
I shake my head._

_"No. Nothing further, Preventer Barton. Resume your training."  
I wipe my face with a towel, drapping it on my shoulder.  
"I take my leave of you. Good luck on your mission tomorrow."_

_He catches my arm and I wait for him to speak._

_"Promise that you'll wait for me, Noin."  
What do you say...when someone asks with those eyes?_

_I smirk, rolling my eyes.  
"Alright. I'll wait for you outside your place."_

_He stares intently at my face before pulling me towards him in a gentle kiss.  
"I want you to be the first person I see when I return."_

_I nod. And prepare to leave._

_"Something true? How about this?  
He stands rigid, looking nearly silly in his workout clothes and salutes me.  
"I love you, Noin."_

_I salute him in return and step out of the room._

_"I love you, too."_

_-_

_- _

There's a car pulling up the driveway.

Black. Sleek. Windows tinted to absorb all light.

The rain is heavy and the wind has destroyed Duo's umbrella.

I want to wait here. I want to convey boredom and resoluteness. But I've been needing to see you and I haven't. For six months. It's too long.

So I ignore the slippery stone and I run towards the car. It's dark now, the only lights are from the lanterns on either side of the walk, but I can see you emerging from the car, I can see your hair coming out from under a hat. I can see your uniform and I've reached you. I'm breathless and you're here. And I've missed you.

You salute me, ram-rod straight. And I almost do the same until I realize...

"You're late."

You smile. "And you've kept your promise, Lieutenant."

I take another step and pull you down to me.  
And I kiss you.  
Because you're here.

And I have kept my promises.

_-_

_- _

_Tell me something true.  
I love you.  
I'll wait for you.  
It's been six months.  
You're late._

_And that has not happened for a year._

_-_

_- _

We rush up the steps together and Heero is the one who opens the door.

"Welcome back, Trowa."

We step inside and they are all younger than me.

Twenty years old. Twenty and still clinging.

He tightens his hold around my waist and I am reassured.

Of something true.


End file.
